I AM MARK THOMAS, owner of a group of counter-culture stores in Chicago for the past 40 years. I am a communtiy activist, a member of multiple non-for-profit boards, and the founder of my local chamber of commerce. I started making jewelry when i was only 17 years old. My USA factory was once home to 30 employees, now only 2 remain. I have high hopes that this project will turn the lights back on and bring some of our employees home again. I own our the building where we make most of our items and currently rent what has become inactive space to over 30 different artists and 60 bands. We've become a cultural center in our community, a fact that I am very proud of, because I make my personal home in that very same neighborhood, just 1/2 a block away.

MARCHÉ NOIR was started in Montreal, Canda, a little over 25 years ago. The story goes as follows: One night a man was rummaging through his long dead grandfather's attic and discovered an antique wine box. Inside this box was jewelry he believed his grandfather must have brought back from the European black market during World War II. He was so intrigued with this collection of silver and gold trinkets that he decided to use them as inspiration and become a jewelry designer. Marché Noir, which translates from french as Black Market, was born. Fifteen years later, our stores became one of Marché Noir's largest customers and when the company fell on hard times we bought the brand and the original art. I have kept this wonderful jewelry company alive and helped it reach an audience far larger than it had ever before.

I HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT place for the production of key elements of the new Marché Noir Organics line: artisanal "home workshops" in Bali, Indonesia. In 1999, I started visiting this wonderful island which is home to some of the most kind and gentle people in the world. I would enter each of the artisan's homes, remove my shoes, sit and explain the products I wanted and negotiate a fair livable price for my needed products. I have traveled more than 3,800,000 miles in my life buying for my businesses and vacationing. Even though Bali is 30 hours away by plane, I find myself returning often. Bali is truly a little piece of Heaven on Earth. This Island of Festivals is 85% Hindu and a place where the children go to school 11 months out of the year, 6 days a week and in a school uniform. This is a place where family and community are number one and the people always seems to SMILE. Bali became my second home. My favorite spot in the island became the village of Ubud, which is home to the sacred Monkey Forest. I urge you to visit.

I HAVE THE ELEMENTS of this jewelry line made and then imported into the United States where we assemble and do final quality control before individually boxing these items. I have lost three of my past businesses to Asian copy cats and was committed to do what I could where i could to try to keep part of this project Made In America. Legally, as all the assembly is done here, some might represent it as Made in America, but I wanted to be transparent and share the beauty of the where these amazing pieces are carved. The lead-free pewter beads are made in my factory in Chicago.

LIFE IS NOT PERFECT. Each element is hand carved and is subject to each artists interpretation. The differences are not mistakes; but are beauty marks that make each piece an individual and original work of art. You will notice little imperfections where 2 or 3 elements are joined this is a result of expansion and contractions of the elements as they are assembled. We bring all those elements together and allow them to acclimatize themselves to our American climate. These unique pieces are guaranteed to bring you years of happiness.